Is It Time To Get Your Sexy Back? [EXPERT]

While sexual intimacy only takes up about 10 percent of a relationship in terms of time and energy, the payoff for a good sex life is tenfold, both for yourself and your relationship. But for many, the quality of their sex life is the first thing that starts to wan once they have settled in for a long haul. Maybe this is because the novelty has worn off; maybe this is because you’ve run out of new positions and ideas; maybe this is because it gets easy to take for granted that your mate will be there tomorrow if you have more energy or desire then. Regardless, it takes a personal and relational commitment to keep your sex life alive and healthy. So if you’ve been feeling a lack of luster in your sex life, here are some things to consider.

First, having a healthy and satisfying sex life enhances you in many ways. It relieves stress, promotes emotional and psychological well-being, releases lots of feel good hormones, supports physical health, and creates more intimacy and love within a committed relationship. Can’t beat that.

Second, there is no one right way to define a healthy and satisfying sexual relationship. You and your partner are the ones who will need to define that for yourselves. Conflict occurs in relationships when two people have different and often opposing needs and ideas. The challenge is for you and your partner to sit down with each other and find a definition that works toward nourishing and satisfying the needs of your relationship. If you approach the conflict from this perspective you will avoid settling into a power struggle of whose individual needs get met when and how. Finding a rhythm that works for the needs of the relationship will most likely end up satisfying both partners. And remember, your and your relationship’s needs will shift throughout a lifetime.

Third, it is not your partner’s responsibility to make you feel sexy. It is yours. Feeling sexy and gaining the benefits from a vital sex life starts with you. Do what you need to do to feel sexy. Take responsibility for your own sexual health. Take the initiative to spice things up. Be the seducer if you are typically not; allow yourself to be seduced if you typically don’t. Taking responsibility for your sexual health requires you to take responsibility for your self-care—physically, emotionally, psychologically, and spiritually.

Fourth, it is also your responsibility to make your partner feel sexy. That will look different for different people. Find out what your partner likes; let him know he still turns you on; let her know she’s still lights up the room. Understand that making your partner feel sexy begins outside of the bedroom; it starts with how you treat each other day in and day out. It comes out of the daily care and attention you provide for each other.